Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 2026)

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

19,086 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 950 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Nov. 7) 20.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

From This Moment On

November

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: JANE @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 12: MoonMot + Jack Banjo’s Snackwall @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 12: Ratio: Swingin’ Through the Decades @ The Forum, Darlington. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. A charity fundraiser.
Thu 12: Look Left @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Thu 12: Michael Woods @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Acoustic blues.

Fri 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Giles Strong (guitar); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 13: Lapwing Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Richard Herdman, Nick Bagnell, Paula Whitty.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! Returns next week (Fri 20th).
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Hexham Lantern Parade, Bandstand, Sele, Hexham. 6:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Sharp Collective @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm.
Fri 13: East Coast Swing Band @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 13: Guisborough Big Band @ Saltburn Golf Club. 7:30pm. Tickets: £15.00 (inc. pie & peas

Sat 14: Lianne Carroll: Jazz Vocal Weekend Workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 9:30am-5:00pm. £95.00. Day 1/2. SOLD OUT!
Sat 14: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 14: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf); £11.00 concs (inc. bf).
Sat 14: Red Kites Jazz @ Staiths Café, Gateshead. 7:00pm.
Sat 14: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Tweed Gallery, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Sun 15: Lianne Carroll: Jazz Vocal Weekend Workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 9:30am-5:00pm. Day 2/2. SOLD OUT!
Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ The Waiting Room, Eaglescliffe. 7:00pm. £48.18 (to include dinner); £17.43 (concert only).
Sun 15: Sarah Gillespie & Chris Montague @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sun 15: Liane Carroll @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Solo performance. SOLD OUT!

Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Jacob Egglestone, Paul Grainger, Joe Deans.
Tue 17: Grammy Season (Laubrock/Seabrook/Lovato/Rainey) @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Album (EP) review: Samara Joy & Her Septet - Live! at the Blue Note L.A. (Verve)


Samara Joy (vocals); Jason Charos (trumpet, arranger); Eli Feingold (trombone); David Mason (alto sax, flute); Kendric McCallister (tenor sax, arranger); Cameron Campbell (piano); Marty Jaffe (bass, arranger); Evan Sherman (drums)

Just to hear her name sets my heart a-flutter. Samora Joy has that effect on anyone within earshot of her gorgeous contralto (give or take a couple of octaves either way!). It's no coincidence that her EFG concert at the RFH is SO!

However, all is not entirely lost in the form of this live EP recorded at the Blue Note in L.A.

An introductory powerhouse fanfare from the octet mingled with rapturous applause announces the arrival on stage of jazz's number one vocalist who promptly goes into ...

'Round Midnight (arr. McCallister): Her voice is incredible as is her phrasing which  offers a new perspective on the Monk classic. Campbell ups the tempo for his solo, Samara stays with it before dropping into a slower fade out with only bass underpinning her virtuosic cadenza. 
Yesterdays (arr. Jaffe): Kern's classic, reflective, ballad has the requisite melancholy opening - but not for long. You don't tame Samara. Feingold blows some  beauteous 'bone  and Jaffe walks the bass before Samara vocalises in unison with the horns. Hey what was her last note? Don't know, I'll have to ask a dog. 
Lush Life (arr. McCallister): A dramatic, yet tender, rendition of this most cinematic of songs. You're in there, a bystander watching her neck too many of those 'through the day twelve o'clock tales'. Relatively subdued but no less emotional.  
No More Blues (arr. Charos): Sherman kicks things off before Samara comes in just over the speed limit. Tasty bass solo by Jaffe who stays in the picture for the return of the diva - I use the word advisably as she would knock 'em dead at La Scala. Not to be outdone the band shed their blues with a wild devil-take-the hindmost blast. Trumpet and trombone do some trading before Samara cools it - for a while! 
No More Blues (reprise) (arr. Charos): After  superstar Sam introduces  the band comes the grand finale. The whole disc has only lasted 31.53 minutes but, if it had lasted any longer I don't think my throbbing heart would have survived it! Lance
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive